Education

Timeline for Starting Special Education Services for Your Child

Step 1:

You tell the school administrators that you are interested in getting an individualized Education Plan (IEP) for your child and let them know that you want your child to be evaluated.

You may have to wait for up to 45 school days for your child to be tested.

It may take longer to test your child if your request is made near school breaks (e.g., Spring or Winter Break) or at the end of the year.

Step 2:

Eligibility meeting. The members of the school special education team, you, your child (if age-appropriate) and teachers who know your child will hold a meeting to talk about the results of the testing and decide if your child is eligible for an IEP.

Make sure that your school has a letter for your child’s doctor before or during this meeting.

You child will not qualify for the Other Health Impaired (OHI) eligibility if the school is not informed of your child’s health status. A letter from a physician is required.

Step 3:

Initial IEP Meeting. The special education coordinator will schedule a time to have your child’s first IEP Meeting. During this meeting, goals will be set for your child to achieve. The goals will be based on your child’s testing results, schoolwork and behavior, and medical status and needs.

Sometimes schools will combine the eligibility and initial IEP meetings.

The school will already know the information that they need regarding all of these areas except medical status and needs. Please be sure to provide the school with all of the information that they need to meet your child’s medical needs.

Make sure all of your child’s medical and academic needs are listed on the IEP.

The IEP is an agreement between your family and the school If you do not agree with all of it, do not sign it. It is okay to ask for a few extra days to review it or discuss it with someone else. If you don’t’ sign the IEP at the meeting, it is very important to remember that the plan will not start until you sign it.

Step 4:

Starting your child’s IEP. Your child’s IEP should go into effect as soon as it is signed.

If you have any questions, concerns, or problems with the IEP, you can request that the school hold another meeting.

You can ask for a new meeting at any time.

Step 5:

Annual updates. Your school’s special education coordinator will be contacting you at least once every year to set up a meeting to discuss your child’s progress with his/her IEP.

This meeting is a time to get answers to any questions that you have.

Again, make sure that all of your child’s medical needs are listed on the IEP.

Be sure to tell the school if there have been any changes in your child’s medical needs Make sure all of the information on the IEP is current and up-to-date.

Step 6:

Reevaluation. Your child will be re-tested every three years that he/she has an IEP. The testing is a way to make sure that the school is making progress toward any educational/academic goals. Even if your child does not have any academic program, the evaluations must happen for your child to keep the IEP.

Step 7:

Managing problems. Hopefully, you will not have any programs with your child’s IEP. If you do, many services exist to help you.

Mediators can help to resolve disagreements between your family and the school. If you would like to work with a mediator, please ask the special education coordinator at your child’s school.

The State Department of Education has advocates who can help you, and the Board of Education also has services available.

If your conflict with the school cannot be helped, you can take steps for Due Process with the school. Helpful people at the Department of Education or the Board of Education can tell you what you need to know about this process.

Oklahoma Board of Education: 405-521-3308

Oklahoma Department of Education: 405-521-3301

Differences between the 504 Plan and an individual education plan:

Services Provided

IEP

504

Provides medical accommodations

YES

YES

Provides accommodations for emotional problems

YES

NO

Provides educational/academic accommodations

YES

NO

School receives federal money for implementation

YES

NO

School can get in trouble for not following accommodations

YES

YES

Services provided throughout the lifetime

NO

YES

Student must be tested to obtain services

YES

NO

Disability must affect educational performance

YES

NO

Students receiving services will receive special education services

YES

NO

Requires re-evaluation before changes in placement can occur

NO

YES

Requires re-evaluation at least once every three years

YES

NO

Placement decisions require written parental consent

YES

NO

May provide speech, physical therapy, counseling services

YES

NO

Provides due process hearings if unsatisfied with accommodations

YES

YES

Must have annual meetings

YES

NO

Parents may request meetings to discuss concerns at any time

YES

YES

School may be asked to provide a 2nd, independent evaluation

YES

NO

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